Invincible
by AvengeTheOddsAndSingToBeWanted
Summary: When Steve falls into a coma, the rest of the team are devastated. As they visit him in the hospital, they understand that they themselves have their own weaknesses and downfalls. That's when they realize that life, however difficult it might be, is helping them become the person they were always meant to be, but stronger.
1. The Fall

**So this is my second Avengers Fanfic (go and read my first one if you want) and I spent a lot of time making sure it's exactly how I planned it. I've thought about this for a while, so now the first chapter is here! This first chapter is just about how Steve got into the coma, the next few chapters we'll be the team visiting him in the hospital. I hope you'll all like it. Remember, read, relax and review!**

Everyone thinks superheroes are invincible, indestructible; that they will never fall.

But everyone has a weakness. Everyone feels pain, either physically or mentally. Most of the time, it's physical. But when it's mental or emotional, it hurts much longer, much deeper than one might think.

And when someone gets hurt, those around him will feel the same. They themselves understand how helpless they are against life, against fate. But through this process of realization, they can finally understand how life isn't scaring them, but it's teaching them to be much stronger.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, can someone remind me again why we're chasing robots down the streets of New York City?" asked Clint.

"How many times do I have to say it? Crazy scientist wants robots to rule the world, letting them lose." Natasha sighed through her headset.

The Avengers were in Quinjets above the city, Tony, Steve and Natasha in one, Thor, Bruce and Clint in the other. Below them, the city was in chaos. Not as much as when they were fighting the Chitauri, but still, it was insanity. Robots were terrorizing New Yorkers all over the place, screaming and fear filling the air.

"Why are all the bad guys insane? A simple robbery… no, they don't call us, the police can take care of it, and the people don't need us. When some crazy idiot releases robots onto the streets, they're all like, 'oh, Avengers, we don't know how to handle this guy, help us!' Seriously, what are we… mental hospital workers?" Tony added, looking at the chaos below.

"At least they know when to call." Steve stood at Tony's side, already formulating a plan. "We arrived not a minute too soon." Another group of robots had appeared out of Central Park, right where he team had pinpointed the psycho scientist to be.

Both the Quinjets turned till they faced nose-to-nose, right above the centre of Central Park. "We're in place, over to you, Cap."

Steve didn't waste a second, speaking into his headset. "Ok guys, listen up! Thor: there're transmitters and receivers all around the park; light them up, no mercy. Bruce, you go in and find the psycho's base, destroy all the computers and hard drives. If he or any robots come after you… get angry. Clint, Natasha, after we get out, you two get people to safety. Try driving the robots back to the park. Stark, you and I get rid of those things, make sure none, and I mean _none_ of them are left standing. Got it?"

Five voices were heard in unison. "Let's go!"

The doors of the Quinjets opened, letting the noises from outside become that much louder. Tony put his helmet on, turning to Steve as he got his shield. "You ready, Cap?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Steve stared straight at the trees below him, looking for metal.

A mechanical head flashed past. "GO!"

The Avengers take off, Thor jumping down, while holding Bruce, into the park, already summoning lighting. Bruce takes off as soon as he hits the ground, running to the scientist's base. Tony flies off, already blasting robots to pieces. Steve follows suit, his shield decapitating the horrible creations. Clint and Natasha fly the Quinjets away, to wherever people needs help.

The team was sure nothing would go wrong with the mission, but they couldn't be more wrong.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Well, that wasn't difficult at all." Bruce stepped into the Quinjet, not even trying to hide the sarcasm in his voice. His face was covered with dirt, but his clothes were brand new, what with SHIELD's budget for his clothes on mission and all.

"We won, nobody died. Shouldn't that be good enough?" Natasha asked, already getting into her co-pilot seat.

"It would be better if I didn't go… all angry like that. There's a huge gaping hole in the park where plenty of trees used to be."

"Hey, guys?" The two turned to look at Steve, who was sitting at the side, pressing the heel of his palm against his temple, nursing a terrible headache and concussion. "Can you two argue when we get back home? I seriously need an icepack."

"Buckle up, boys." Natasha put on her headset. "Hey, Barton, you good to go?"

Clint returned the message, talking from the second Quinjet. "Everything's good over here. Tony's still angry at Thor for hitting him with the hammer." A slight pause before he adds. "They're still arguing."

"So, nothing weird then?" Before he can answer, Natasha starts the jet, taking off.

All seemed normal, but then…

"Why is the door opening?" Bruce stared at the back of the jet, fidgeting with his glasses.

"What!" Natasha shouted, turning around just as a light on the system board started flashing. She checked all the readings. "There's nothing overriding it. Something's opening it from the outside!"

Steve grabbed his shield, preparing himself. The door opened fully, wind blowing into the jet. He walked forward, grabbing a handlebar at the side and looked out. "There's nothing here. Must be a bug in the system."

Just as he walks away, Bruce shouts. "Cap, behind you!" But it was too late. A one-armed robot appeared from the side of the door. It kicked Steve's shield out of his hand, pulling him nearer and nearer out to the opening. The captain fought back, punching and kicking with all his strength. But the robot was incredibly powerful, even with one arm.

"Bruce, do something!" Natasha shouted, trying her best to stabilize the jet.

"I can't hulk out here! I'll destroy the jet!" Bruce felt useless, looking at Steve fighting.

"Here!" Natasha tossed a gun to Bruce. He caught it in his hands, aiming directly at the robot. Pulling the trigger, the bullet shot straight into its back, destroying its circuit board. Steve pulled away, grabbing his shield.

The robot crumpled to the ground. Steve kicked it out the door, into the air. But as he does, the robot grabs his ankle, pulling him down with it. He falls forward onto the floor of the Quinjet, sliding backwards out the door. Bruce reaches forward, stretching to grab Steve's hand. He does, at the last second.

Bruce groans at the strain. He was holding onto the weight of Captain America, along with a crazy robot. Needless to say, it was heavy. And he wasn't sure he could hold on much longer. He could see Steve flailing his legs to try and get the robot off him, but it had an iron grip. It wasn't going anywhere. With the swinging movements of Steve, the strong wind blowing at them, Bruce's grip was faltering. His arm felt as if it was being torn out of the socket.

Natasha was already calling for help. She told Clint to turn his Quinjet back around, with Tony and Thor ready. "Cap, Doc, hold on, they're coming!"

Bruce's hands were getting sweaty, and he could feel Steve already slipping. He shouted back. "Hurry!"

Blue eyes looked straight at brown ones. Both were filled with pain, fear, but more importantly, _realization. _Both men knew they couldn't hold on. Everything was against them. Bruce could feel the traction between his body and the floor weakening, along with his grip. Steve didn't want any more of his teammates getting hurt.

Then the inevitable happened. Steve's red-gloved hand slipped away from Bruce's. The captain, along with the robot, plummeted towards the ground.

"NO!"

.

Everything seemed to be happening in slow-motion. Bruce's arm was still hanging over the edge, mouth opened in a shout. Natasha turned around, shock and fear plastered on her face.

On the second Quinjet, Clint, Thor and Tony watched as a helpless Steve fell through the air. Thor shouted at Clint to open the hatch doors. Tony wanted to as well, but he knew. At the speed Steve was falling, and the speed of the doors, it was too late.

.

Steve was afraid. His was falling at who-knows-what speed, towards the concrete ground of the city. The robot had finally let go, falling next to him. Looking up, he could see Bruce staring at him. He turned his head, looking through the glass of the second jet. The other three of his teammates were there. They all had the same look on their face: helplessness.

Steve knew he could die when he hit the ground. But back during the war, there was always the possibility of death, so he knew the source of fear wasn't there.

It was from the fact that he would be causing his friends pain. He didn't want that. He never wanted that. Ever since the battle with the Chitauri, the six of them had bonded so well. They became this weird family of superheroes. Steve couldn't hurt family. Never.

He was fast approaching the ground. The robot had fallen faster than him, already broken into hundreds of pieces. Steve wondered if his body would react like that upon impact. Maybe he would be better dead than alive if that happened.

.

Tony watched as the gap between Captain and concrete became smaller. Less than ten feet before Steve hit the ground.

He wanted to turn his head, to look away from the imminent impact, away from the pain. But somehow he couldn't. He just couldn't.

.

As the ground rushed up to meet him, Steve just hoped that the rest of the team weren't looking. He hoped that they wouldn't get hurt.

XXXXXXXXXX

They had all seen the impact. An audible gasp came out from all of them. In that instant, Natasha and Clint immediately found a place to land the Quinjets. During that time, all the team could do was hope for the best.

They ran, not stopping for a moment. All they could think about was Steve. Was he dead? Was he alive? They didn't know, and they couldn't be sure. Not until they saw him.

Once the team saw the man in the star-spangled suit, they went into turbo mode, running as fast as their legs could carry them. Clint, being the fastest of the five, got to the captain first. "He's still breathing!"

The others finally got to Steve's body. His body was sprawled on the pavement, his shield lying a short distance away from his hand. One of his arms was at a weird angle, obviously broken.

"You sure?" Natasha asked, squatting beside Steve's body.

"Yeah, but barely. The fall knocked him unconscious. I'm amazed he only broke an arm. Pretty sure he has at least half of his ribs fractured, and massive internal bleeding."

Somehow, Tony had propped Steve's head on his lap. "His head's fine, just a huge bruise. No skull fractures, incredibly."

Bruce just stared at the limp body, concentrating on the rising and falling of Steve's chest. It was all he could do to mutter out the words, "We have to get him to the hospital."

"We can't put him in a normal one." Clint looked at the doctor. "They'll recognize him immediately."

"Then we need SHIELD's hospital." Natasha answered, standing up. "Get him to the jet."

Before anyone could say anything, Thor carried Steve onto his back. "Time is of the essence. Where to?"

Clint led the others back to the jets. Once inside, it was all they could do to not look at Steve's bruised, broken and battered body. They just hoped that they would get him to the hospital in time. And that he would be fine.

Because if he wasn't, they weren't sure how they would feel.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was a weird sight in the hallway of SHIELD's hospital. Doctor Banner had his face buried in his hands. Iron Man was silently pacing the ground, back and forth, back and forth. The god of thunder was sitting on the bench, the back of his head against the wall. Black Widow was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, sighing every few seconds. Hawkeye was on the floor, arms draped over his knees. All of them were still in their battle gear, clothes torn, dirt, cuts and bruises all over their faces. But underneath all the dirt was the grief and fear.

No news had come from the doctors tending to the captain for almost an hour, and the rest of the team was getting more and more worried by the minute.

On the Quinjet back to the hospital, Steve's breaths were getting shallower as they travelled, and it had felt as if the trip took hundreds of years.

And now, it was like a thousand years, because none of them knew what would happen to him.

Finally, a doctor appears from behind the doors. The five of them rush to him. "Doc, is he alright?" "How bad is it?" "Will he make it through?" "Will the captain still live?" "Is he awake?"

"Okay, I know you are worried, but can you please calm down?" The team all went silent. The doctor looked at them. "Well, it's a miracle that he survived that fall. He broke his left arm and leg, along with plenty of his ribs. There's some major internal bleeding and bruising. But you can be rest assured he's still alive."

The guys breathe a sigh of relief, but Natasha creases her eyebrows even more. She looks at the doctor. "There's something else, isn't there? What is it, Doc? You have to tell us."

The rest of the team go from relief to even more intense worry. The doctor sighs, with a painful expression in his eyes. "He suffered a huge concussion from the fall. He's still unconscious, and we know he'll wake up, but… we can't be sure when. There's no telling when, it could take weeks, even months or years."

Bruce feels up to the brim with guilt. "You mean… he'll be in coma… just like before?"

"Exactly, but we're not sure if it would be like last time. The ice and cold helped slow down the aging of his cells by a whole lot, but now… it could be different. There's no telling how the super-serum works on damages as bad as his. It would heal all his injuries pretty quickly, but not the heavy concussion. It could take forever, as far as we know."

The team was speechless. Captain America was yet again in another coma, but this time, they were there to experience the pain of it. What if he didn't wake up for another 70 years like last time? What would happen to him? "Is there anything to help him wake up?"

"Not at the moment, no. But there has been research done that says coma patients awake faster when visited frequently be friends or family. So maybe you could come and visit him one day. But not right now, he needs at least a full day's recovery by himself."

The doctor saw the faces of the team; guilt-ridden, fearful, pained, terrified, worried. "Why don't you all go home and get some rest? It's been a long day for you too. Get some sleep. Come back some other day. I'll promise we'll take good care of him."

The team knew they could do nothing else, so, following the doctor's advice, they went back to the Avengers' mansion and got some rest.

But none of them could fall asleep, no matter how they tried. As long as Steve was still in the coma, they wouldn't feel peaceful at all. They had to try and wake him, because as much as they did (or didn't) want to admit it, they needed Steve, and Steve needed them. For better or for worse, they were a team _and_ a family. And you never, _ever _give up on your family.


	2. The Outside

**Chapter 2 is finally here! Super sorry for the long wait. This was a tough one to write. I have totally no idea how to write Nick Fury's character, or Maria Hill. But I did, and hope you all will like it. I know you might have expected one the Avengers team to be here, but I thought these two should be in here, to get an 'outside' view. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Remember, read, relax and review!**

DAY 1

"You put those people together; you can't expect what's going to happen..."

X

Standing outside the Captain's ward, Director Nick Fury had his arms crossed, silently fuming.

How could this happen? The plan was simple: get in, get rid of the robots and get going. He did expect injuries, but nothing like this. He couldn't afford to lose any of the Avengers, especially Captain America. He was the only one who actually followed his orders. Without him, Fury's orders would go unheard and the team wouldn't even give a damn about him.

As he rubbed the bridge of his nose, Agent Maria Hill walked up to him. "You called for me, sir?"

He spun around to face her. "I did. What did the report say?"

"It was an accident sir. None of them expected it to happen."

"Exactly. I should go and…"

"Sir, they feel bad enough. Don't you think you should go easy on them?"

Fury narrowed his eyes. "I have been easy on them, Agent. All this time, I've gone easy on them. And now you see what happens? The Captain is in a coma. They weren't prepared when they should have been. It's their fault he's in this condition. They _should_ feel bad. And when did you ever have the right to give me orders Agent?"

"Sorry… but I'm serious. They know it's their fault, and already they feel guilty about it. Don't you think you should give a break, just this once? Have you even seen them sir? None of them are talking; they're barely leaving their rooms. They can't bear to see the Captain like this, especially when they know he's in this condition because of them."

The Director turned to look into the ward. He breathed out a defeated sigh. "Fine. I'll let it slide, just this one time. But if this kind of thing happens again, I'll-"

"I know sir, and I'll let you scream at them all you want." Agent Hill smiled secretly to herself, knowing that she had persuaded Fury, something that happened rarely. "Anything else?"

"Yes there is… Any thoughts on this tragic accident?"

She walked over to him. She looked into the ward, looking at the sight of a damaged Captain.

He had bandages all over his body. Both his left arm and leg were in casts. He had machines all around his bed, measuring his pulse, temperature and brain waves every second. For anyone else, the Captain looked like he was sleeping. But to all those in SHIELD, they knew his condition was much worse than just a nap.

"It really does make you think, about how defenceless we really are. He's already a super-soldier, and his injuries are horrible. Imagine if it happened on us normal people. We would be dead ten times over. It's a miracle he survived."

The director was never one to get emotional and weepy over tragedies, but he couldn't help it. He had to say something that people would think of as weak. "I hope he wakes up soon. The team, along with everyone here in SHIELD, need him. I don't think the world can go on without Captain America for long."

Agent Hill smirked as a thought ran through her mind. "Coulson would probably be sobbing over this if he was still… here. His hero in another coma. He would break down. I think he would come every single day just to see how he's doing."

Fury smiled something that almost never happened. "Yeah… he would be at his side every day, just wishing that he would wake up. Just like last time… Agent, what did the report say about the captain waking up?"

"You read everything already sir. They're not sure when he'll wake up. It could take as long as last time, maybe even longer. His physical state would change; he will grow and look older as time passes. But the doctor did say that paying him a visit might help speed the process up."

"Any mention of the will-to-live?"

"No sir, but I know what you mean. I think the Captain's willpower would be what wakes him up in the end."

"Well then, he should wake soon. God knows he has five times as much willpower in just one hand than the others have in their entire bodies. I need a captain to lead that group of lunatics, and he's the right man for the job."

The director stared solemnly and sadly at the Captain through the glass. Agent Hill could see something changing in him, but wasn't sure what. She ventured cautiously into dangerous territory. "Sir, are you alright? You look a little…"

"I'm fine." The director's answer was sharp. "You can go now, Agent."

"But sir..."

"I said go!" Hill didn't want to argue, so she walked away. But before she turned the corner, she looked over her shoulder one last time to get a glimpse of Fury. Both his hands were covering his face, blocking out sounds and keeping thoughts in.

The agent had never seen him so upset or serious before. He was taking it hard. She could tell it wasn't from guilt. It would take a lot for Nick Fury to feel guilty. Instead, it was fear. The fear that the unexpected can and will happen, hurting many people in the process.

As Hill walked out the doors of SHIELD's hospital, she felt the fear too. But she realised that the accident wasn't all about teaching people fear. It was actually about teaching others to understand their own weaknesses and imperfections. To show them that nobody is perfect and that nobody ever will. Even the super-serum enhanced super-soldier in the star-spangled suit.

**In case you guys were wondering, the 'Day 1' at the start refers to the number of days after the accident. So this chapter happened the day after Steve got into the coma. The other chapters will have the same thing.**

**If you have any idea or thoughts on things that you want to see happen in future chapters, tell me! I might add them in! Please review! All will be loved and appreciated deeply! **


	3. The Gratitude

**Now, just to let you know, I really like Clintasha (That's the pairing of Clint and Natasha, if you didn't know), so there's quite a lot of it here. I mean, look at them in the movie! They should totally make a back story for them. By the way, italic parts are flashbacks. Thank you for reviewing, and for adding this as favourite and alert. Read, relax and review!**

DAY 3

"This is nothing we were ever trained for..."

X

"Captain, it would be my genuine pleasure."

X

The room was quiet, aside from the beeping of the machines, ticking of the clock, occasional drip of the tap and the extremely shallow breathing of one man. It was as silent as it could get, when suddenly…

Agent Clint Barton burst into the room. "Hey Captain, we're here! Aren't you glad to see us?!" His sudden appearance was answered with the constant silence that the place had managed to keep until he appeared. With no response from the Captain, Clint sighed, his lower lip jutting slightly out.

"You see, I told you it wouldn't work. But you just had to go and try it once." Agent Natasha Romanoff entered, rolling her eyes as she stood next to him. "And now you're pouting like a baby."

"I am not! It's just… I really hoped he would be awake by now. It's been three days, Tasha; he should be awake already."

"I know, but you heard what the doctor said. The concussion was really bad. They won't know how fast or different the super-serum in his blood will react. There won't be a definite way of knowing when he'll wake up."

"You think talking to him might help speed up the process?" Clint dragged two chairs from the side of the room and turned them towards the bed. He sat down on one of them, Natasha following suit after him.

She laid a warm hand on Steve's unconscious one. "Hey Cap, you look better. All the bruises are gone, but you still have those casts. Anyway… we brought you some flowers. Hope you like them." She placed a bouquet of lilies, daisies and tulips on the bedside table.

Clint placed a hand on the Captain's shoulder. "Oh, and we brought you your sketch book, just in case, you know, you get bored or something. Don't worry, we never looked inside; we know how precious your drawings are." He put the book beside the flowers, dusting some dirt off it in the process.

There was a moment where neither of them talked. They just held their gaze on Steve, their hands being the only point of contact with him. The silence returned, only this time, the rhythmic breathing of two people who were saddened was added, but it barely made a difference. There was still the tragic and solemn atmosphere in the room.

Natasha was the first one to break the everlasting silence. "I should have checked the jet before I took off. If I did, this probably wouldn't have happened."

Clint placed a comforting hand on her knee. "Nat, don't blame yourself. I should get the blame too. If I hadn't taken off that quickly, I think I could have turned around and saved him. I could have opened the doors faster…"

She shook her head, shutting her eyes in frustration. "I know what you're trying to do, Clint, and let me tell you: it's not going to work. You're trying to shift the blame so I'll feel less guilty. But you're wrong. It's just making me feel worse. I should have done something, but all I did was check the readings that were obviously wrong. I should have tried and land the plane. I did nothing, Clint. And it's all my fault."

"Nat, listen to me." The redhead still had her eyes shut, so Clint had to turn her to face him. "Listen to me! You did do something. You passed Bruce the gun. You called for me to turn back. You tried to stabilise the jet. You tried to kill the virus that the robot implanted into the jet's system to close the door. That doesn't sound like nothing to me. You did help, so you can't keep blaming yourself. All of us had a part in this."

He tilted her head so that they were eye-to-eye. His grey eyes were filled with such warmth and care that Natasha couldn't turn her own green ones away. "Tasha, don't you think Steve would want you to stop blaming yourself? He wouldn't want to see you like this. None of us wants to see you like this, especially me. So stop trying to beat yourself up over it, okay?"

Natasha let out a sigh before smiling. "Okay." She turned back to look at Steve. "For Cap." Then she looked at Clint. "And for you."

He smiled, cheeks starting to turn red. He looked down at Steve's unconscious body, trying to hide it. "Is it just me, or does he look younger?"

"People do look younger when they're asleep. Maybe they forget about their troubles when they're sleeping."

"Good, 'cause Cap has a lot of things going through his mind every day. He needs some time off from all that serious thinking."

"I guess it's karma then, because he helped me with some of my problems."

Clint raised an eyebrow. "Really, you too? What'd he help you with?"

"He taught me how to trust." And Natasha couldn't help but smile at the memory.

XXXXXXXXXX

_It was around a month ago, deep into the night. Steve and Natasha were both in the meeting room of the Avenger's mansion, neither being able to sleep. Steve was sketching; Natasha was planning. The two were silently doing their own things, minding their own business when Steve breaks the silence. "Natasha, you've been a spy since you were young, right?"_

_The red-head looked up from her papers. "Yeah… why do you ask?"_

"_Nothing… it's just… Spies normally don't trust people, but you trusted the rest of us pretty quickly. That's different, but it's a good different."_

_She looked away guiltily. "Well…"_

_Steve stared at her. "You don't trust us? But we're a team; a family even. How could you not?"_

_Natasha frowned. She looked at Steve, sighing in frustration. "I trust you, Cap. And Bruce too. Maybe even Thor, but not the others."_

"_You don't trust Tony or Clint?"_

"_Do you trust Tony, Steve?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Be honest, Cap. Do you trust Stark one hundred per cent of the time?"_

"_... Not hundred per cent, maybe more like fifty to sixty…" Natasha gives him a pointed look that said: 'told you so'. "Point taken, but what about Clint? The two of you have known each other for a long time. How can you not trust him?"_

_Natasha closed her eyes. "It's not that I don't trust him, it's just… the first time we met, he was on a mission to kill me, Steve. Albeit he did save me in the end, but I just… it's hard to forget that. And when Loki controlled him… he was a whole different person. He tried to kill me on the helicarrier. It's difficult to sidestep that, especially when he's been there for me all this time."_

"_And yet, you still talk to him, laugh with him, fight with him, cry with him and help him. You do trust him; you just don't see it. Natasha, I know it's hard for you to trust people because of your job, but that doesn't mean you push them away. You tell yourself that, but in the end, you do the exact opposite._

"_Maybe it's your own imperfection: that it's hard for you to find a place in your heart to trust someone. But then you trust me, you trust Bruce and Thor. So why not Clint? Let him in; let others in. It might not be the best thing to do as a spy, but it helps. In one way or another… it helps."_

_The red-head let the words process in her head before she answered. "Thank you, Steve."_

_The blond gave a bright smile in return. "No problem. Now all we have to do is help you trust Tony."_

_Laughing, the ex-Russian answered. "That's going to take a lot more than just a talk."_

XXXXXXXX

"Trust?" Clint asked her with a sceptical look. "That seems… deep."

"Well, it was. What about you? What did Steve help you with?"

"He umm… taught me how to be more serious."

XXXXXXXXXX

_Three weeks ago, mid-afternoon, Steve and Clint were in the mansion's gym. The archer was doing some weight-lifting, and had asked the Captain to be his spotter. They had been going at it for 15 minutes, when Clint stopped, getting up from the bench._

_Steve looked at him curiously. "You're done already? You didn't even reach half-an-hour. What's up?"_

"_I just… I… do you take me seriously Cap?" Clint asked, draping his arms over his knees._

"_I guess it depends on the situation, but… you can be serious when you want to."_

"_That just means that I'm not."_

"_What's wrong? You don't usually ask questions like this. Come on, tell me. Maybe I can help." Steve took a seat next to Clint, waiting for the response._

"_None of you really take me seriously. I mean, yeah, during missions you do, but when we're back in our normal lives, you guys just joke around with me. Nothing serious ever goes on in any conversations I have with you guys."_

"_Clint… you don't really think that."_

"_I do! You're okay; so is Bruce, but the others… Thor and I, we're the two jokers in the group, we laugh, we make people think we're silly. That's fine, he's a god, and I don't think he'll really want to be serious. Tony… he… he makes fun of my archery almost every single day, but I ignore it, because I know he's just jealous. I know it's good to have a laugh, but… I just want to be taken seriously."_

"_Clint, don't you see? You're thinking that by being the comical one you aren't serious. But look at you now. You're having a serious, one-to-one talk with me. You think that it's a bad thing, but it isn't. When things are down, at least we have you to lighten the mood. Okay, so maybe when bad things happen, you don't have to make a joke about it, but at least you try."_

_The archer ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, fine, but what about Nat? You know, every time I crack a joke, she just kinda glares at me. And when I'm serious, she asks if something's wrong. Come on! I can't win!"_

_Steve took his time to explain. "You have to understand that she thinks differently from the rest of us. She's known you the longest. Maybe that's why she expects more maturity from you. You can't be funny all the time. I know you just want to help cheer us up, but being serious might actually help. You just have to know whether it's the right time to be funny or serious. I think if you do that, Natasha, along with the rest of us, might look at you a whole lot differently."_

_Clint turned to face the Captain. He smiled, running his hand through his hair yet again. "Thanks for the advice, Cap."_

"_Don't mention it. Anyway… you up for a match?" Steve gestured towards the boxing ring. _

_Clint gave one of his most smug smiles. "Oh, you're on."_

XXXXXXXXXX

"I hope now you understand that not all occasions need an unnecessary joke." Natasha added, nudging Clint.

"Yeah, I do." Clint looked at Steve's unmoving face. "He really is a good man."

"That's why he's Captain America." The red-head glanced at the clock on the opposite wall. "Visiting hours are almost over. We should head back."

"Okay." The archer got up from his seat, his hand still on the Captain's shoulder. He gave it a gentle squeeze before he said, "See you Cap; hope you'll be up-and-about soon."

Natasha leaned forward, planting a light kiss on Steve's forehead. "And thank you, for all that you've done."

Clint folded his arms. "Hey, don't I get a kiss?" The minute the words left his mouth, he regretted instantly. It wasn't the time for a joke.

Unlike previous times, where Natasha glared at him for his insensitivity, she smiled at him, giving out a small laugh. "You wish." She got up, heading towards the door.

He walked up to her, a smile plastered on his face. "What if I got you a cup of coffee? Would I get one then?"

Natasha was already out the door, but looked over her shoulder at Clint. A smile that he had rarely seen was there on her, one that exuded warmth, humour, care, but more importantly, trust. "We'll see."

His smile shined a hundred times brighter. Before he could close the door behind him, he turned back inside, facing Steve. "If you can hear me Cap… Thank you. For everything."

**Okay, so I don't want to be mean, but can you all please review something other than 'please update soon'? Not that I don't appreciate them (they do encourage me to write faster), but I want something other than that. I would really love it if you did.**

**So, anyway, thanks for reading! Hope you liked it!**


	4. The Understanding

**Finally this chapter is up! I'm super sorry for the long wait, it's just that this was a difficult on for me. Thor's dialogue is**_** really **_**hard to write. Sorry if the ending is not very good. I had to rush this because I'm going overseas, and I'm not sure if there's internet in my hotel. I could have posted this later, but I didn't want to make you guys wait! BTW, I just got my Avengers Blu-ray, and it's freaking amazing! Watch the gag reel, you will laugh like crazy. So, anyway, hope you enjoy. Read, relax and review!**

Day 5

"You people are so petty… and tiny."

X

"That's my secret, Cap; I'm always angry."

X

Standing outside Captain America's ward, Doctor Bruce Banner seemed like he wasn't doing much. But in fact, he was doing the exact opposite.

In his head, every single frame of the accident was flashing past, and it kept on replaying, making him feel all the more guilty. He was using every ounce of willpower to try and stop himself from either shooting or stabbing himself out of guilt. Even if he did, it wouldn't work because… well, just because. It was all he could do to stop himself from dropping the basket of fruits and muffins in his hands and run away into some dark corner, waiting for the emotions to ride past.

With all that energy being used to control himself, it's a wonder how he even managed to look at the Captain through the glass window. He had been standing in the exact same place for a whole twenty minutes. He had sighed, ran his hand through his hair and adjusted his glasses almost a hundred times. Bruce just couldn't go into the ward.

He was about to give up when Thor saw him. "Friend Banner!" The god of thunder ran to the doctor. "Have you come to see the Captain in his recovery room as well?"

"…Yeah, I did."

"Then why have you not gone inside?"

"I… I… can't."

"Why ever not? Never mind, I shall lead you in." Thor grabbed the basket out of Bruce's hands and walked right into the ward. Before Bruce could object, Thor started announcing his arrival, very, _very_ loudly. "Captain, the doctor and I are here to visit you! We have also brought along some amazing delicacies!"

Bruce, who was still in the hallway, saw the faces of annoyance turned to him. _Damn it_, he thought, _talk softer_. He raised his hand in apology and quickly walked into the room. "You didn't have to tell the whole world that you were here, Thor. Sorry Cap, he's still adjusting." It took him a second to remember that Steve was still in his coma. The guilt instantly came rushing back. He tried his best to cover it. "Anyway… they're just fruits and some muffins. They're not really that amazing."

"I am sorry for creating a disturbance Doctor, but shouldn't the Captain know that we are here?" Thor was his usual self, asking questions ever so often. He lifted the basket. "And these consumables are unlike those of Asgard; they have never tasted as marvellous or tremendous as the ones of Midguardian origin."

"Fine, whatever" was all Bruce could answer to Thor's point on food. But, on the part about the Captain, Bruce just said, "I don't think Steve can hear you. He might not even know if we're actually here."

"What?! The Captain cannot hear us?" The god slammed the basket of food onto the bedside table in frustration and curiosity. "Is this coma of Earth not similar to Odinsleep? Does one not know the happenings of his surroundings when he is in this state?"

"Calm down, we don't need to destroy SHIELD's property." The doctor collapsed onto a chair in exhaustion. "A coma is like Odinsleep, I guess. I think they can't hear anything. I'm not sure; nobody has really proven it yet. Nobody is sure whether a coma patient actually realises what's going on around them or not."

Thor took a seat next to Bruce. "Then why did Lady Natasha and Archer Barton say that they had spoken to the Captain during their visit here?"

"You can talk to him, but I don't know if he can actually hear us. You can speak to him all you like, just don't expect any responses."

"Does it do any good by talking to him?"

"Maybe, I'm not sure. You can give it go; it might help him wake up sooner."

"Very well then." Thor took a seat beside Bruce. "Captain, you do look much better than when you first arrived in this establishment. All the traces of battle are gone, but yet you are still asleep… Doctor, is it just me or does the Captain look more at peace when he is in this state?"

"I guess he does, doesn't he?" Bruce leaned forward, staring at Steve's unmoving face. "I guess it's because he doesn't have to deal with the rest of us.

"He leads us, plans everything, and helps us all. Without him, we wouldn't know what do to do at all. He has to cope with the rest of us, no matter what kind of crap we do. He still takes care of us, because… because that's what he does. He's Captain America: he plans, he leads, he helps and he cares. He does it all without even hesitating." Bruce shut his eyes tight, breathing a deep, long sigh. "And that's why I just feel so damn guilty."

"I could have saved him. I could have just pulled him up. I just stood there while he fought that stupid robot. I should have helped, at least done something. I'm so useless and now… now he's like this."

Thor spoke up, with concern laced in his voice. "Doctor, do not put the blame all on yourself. We were had a part in this as well."

The brunette shouted an outburst that shocked the demigod. "He protects us _every single day_, without fail. He's always right by our side when we need him. He protects us, but we don't protect him. He helps us without even expecting thanks in return, and this is what we do to him? This is what we do to a man who has so selflessly helped his friends no matter what? We should have done something. _I_ should have done something. Now he's in this state because of me.

"I just feel so bad. You know why I couldn't come in, Thor? It's because I didn't want to face him. I didn't want to see what I had done to Steve. Every day, I can still see him slip away, falling and hitting the ground in my head. And every day, it just kills me to know that someone brave and strong could become like this. If he wakes up 70 years from now, we would all be dead, and he would feel guilty because he couldn't help his friends get through their problems during that time. That's what would happen. We owe him so much, and yet he gets rewarded like this."

Thor waited for the doctor to cool down. Then, he spoke, calm and assertive. "Doctor, the Captain would not have wanted you to feel like this. He protects us because is he able to and that he is willing to, not because he is forced to do so. He protects us as he finds us worthy of protection. He cares deeply about us, so why should we question him?"

Thor placed a firm yet comforting hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Doctor, I do believe that if the Captain had not fallen out of your grasp, he would have most likely let go. He knew that you would not be able to carry him; he could tell that the strain was hurting you. He did not want you to experience pain. If he had let go instead, you might not be feeling so guilt-ridden. That is what he wants, and yet you do the exact opposite. If the Captain could see you right at this moment, he would most likely feel extremely bad over it. So, please, do not put the blame on yourself. Do it for the Captain."

Bruce sighed and leaned back against his chair, shut his eyes and tilted his head back until he faced the ceiling. He could feel Thor's eyes on him, so he turned his head to face his. "Fine, I'll do it. For Steve."

The god clasped his hands together. "Good!" Then he reached for the basket, grabbing two muffins. "Now all we have to do is wait for the Captain to wake up."

"Thor, that's not for you, it's for… never mind. Yeah, we just have to wait, but for who knows how long?"

"You know…" Thor said with a mouthful of chocolate muffin. "In Asgard, if someone falls ill, friends and family usually talk about good deeds that person has done. It brings about good luck and the person recovers quickly soon after."

"Really? Well, if you want to talk about good deeds Steve has done, he did help me with my anger-management issues once."

XXXXXXXXXX

_A couple of weeks ago, Bruce was heading down to the kitchen in the middle of the night, just to get a midnight snack, when he saw Steve sitting at the counter. Bruce knew he wouldn't be able to sneak past the Captain without any questions asked, so he just greeted him. "Hey, Steve."_

_Steve looked over his shoulder. "Oh, hey, doc. What you doing down here so late?"_

"_Just getting a drink." Bruce walked over to the refrigerator. Upon inspection, he decided on a can of juice that Tony had bought from some country he visited. The doctor took a seat across from the Captain. As Bruce downed his drink, he noticed Steve quietly sketching away, drawing a place which he guessed to be Grand Central Station._

_As Bruce finished his drink, Steve lifted his head, looking straight at him. "Hey Bruce, that time during the battle in New York, you said that your secret was that you're always angry, remember?"_

_Bruce nodded slowly, the memory slowly coming back to him. "Yeah, I guess so. What's up?"_

"_So… why are you always angry?"_

_The doctor was so shocked at that question he nearly choked on the last gulp of juice. Steve noticed, and asked, "I mean, why should you? There's no need to be angry at anything."_

_Bruce rubbed his eyes, settling the empty can on the counter with shaky heads. "You don't understand, Cap. I was trying so hard to replicate the serum they used on you. I thought I did it, that I finally unlocked the secret, but I was so wrong. And now, I'm like this. Becoming the Hulk ruined my life for me Steve. Nobody I loved could be safe around me. I brought destruction wherever I went. Everyone was after me, and I just had to leave._

_In Calcutta, at first, I didn't know what to do. I kinda just wandered around, letting time go by. I didn't see an end. I tried suicide, but it didn't work out, as you can remember. I felt so stupid and useless because I failed. Then I started helping people, which made me feel better. But… I'm not that kind of doctor, I'm not the kind of helps cure others. But my original line of work was no longer an option for me. So I settled for what I had._

_So, to answer your question straight to the point, Cap, I'm always angry because of my failure."_

_Steve folded his arms and leaned forward. "That was one failure, Bruce, and look where that failure has brought you. The Hulk helped out in saving New York from the Chitauri. He destroyed some of the Leviathans. He saved Iron Man from that massive fall. Not only that, but the Hulk also saved countless people on other missions we were on. People don't call you 'Incredible' for nothing."_

"_Okay, but like you said, the Hulk did all those things, not me."_

"_Ever since the battle in New York, you've learnt how to control the Hulk, so he is you. You did all those things doc. You shouldn't feel angry anymore. You've saved, protected and served. You should feel proud. You found the Tesseract, that's something you would never do in your line of work. You're doing so much more than you would be if you didn't have the Hulk. You have to forget about the past to progress in to the future, which is ironic coming from me, but still… you're not a failure, Doc. If you were, I don't think you would be here today."_

_Bruce fiddled with the can, letting the words process in his head. He mumbled to himself, "Every cloud has a silver lining." When he noticed Steve looking at him, the doctor smiled. "Thanks Steve."_

"_Don't mention it." Steve smiled back, and then scratched the back of his ear with his pencil. He lifted the drawing up for Bruce to see. "Does this look okay?"_

_Bruce laughed guilty. "Don't remind me of that place. I still haven't apologised to Thor for punching him there."_

XXXXXXXXXX

Thor slapped Bruce on the back, nearly knocking the wind out of him. "See? Remembering brings about good luck and happiness. It is a good practice."

Bruce coughed, trying to recover from the slap. "Yeah… what about you? Any good deeds Cap has done for you?"

"Well, there was this one time that the Captain taught me about arrogance."

XXXXXXXXXX

_It was on a weekend around a month ago. Like on all weekends, if there were no battles to be fought or missions to be completed, Thor could be found watching what he called "the magical moving-pictures box", or what we called a TV. He was watching a wrestling match when Steve just happens to pass by._

"_Captain Rogers! Come join me in enjoying this fight between ridiculously muscular humans!" Thor boomed from the sofa all the way across the room._

_Steve, being Thor's TV buddy, couldn't refuse and sat down next to him. For most of the match, Steve was silent, quietly observing the moves of the fighters. But as for Thor, he kept on commenting on the fighters and their skills._

"_Look at how the smaller one punches. That would not even hurt my mother, and yet, the bigger one still falls in pain! How is that possible? The two of them together would not even be able to hurt a cow, much less a god. You humans really are tiny."_

_During the match's break, Steve decided to talk to Thor. "Hey, Thor. You know, you should be more careful in the way you speak about us humans."_

"_I am sorry if I offended you, my friend, but it is true. You humans fight pathetically, but somehow, you all find it entertaining. Is that not something to laugh at?"_

"_Thor, compared to gods, of course we're weaker in a lot of ways, but that doesn't mean you can laugh at or insult us. You live among humans, if you're not careful about what you say, even if it's a joke, people might take it seriously, and you could be in big trouble."_

_Thor narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Are you saying that I do not understand you humans? Have you forgotten that I had once lost my powers and had to live like a human for a few days? I have experienced it, so why are you saying this?"_

"_I'm not saying that you don't understand. I'm just saying that, sometimes, we humans are equal to you gods. When you were a human, did you not feel more relaxed in some way?"_

"_It did feel… refreshing to not have the responsibility of a god."_

"_Exactly. I'm not saying that we're better. But both of us have our own troubles and problems, as well as successes and happiness. We're equals, so you shouldn't think yourself above them. I know that you think you don't, but sometimes you forget and let it slip. Just keep in mind, humans and gods… we're not that different."_

"_Your words are well-received, Captain. I thank you for kind advice." Thor sank back into the sofa. "Now, which one of the muscular men do you think will emerge victorious?"_

XXXXXXXXXX

"Good for you, Thor." The doctor looked at the god. "I hope you understand that humans are not all puny and weak."

Thor nodded his head. "I will never underestimate you humans ever again. One example is you, doctor. You are an incredibly worthy opponent, I must say. You may not look like one, but you are."

"I'll take that as a compliment so, thanks." Bruce looked at the clock on the wall. "It's about time to leave. Visiting hours are almost over."

"Very well then." Thor stood up from his chair. He looked down at Steve' body, placing a gentle yet firm hand on the Captain's arm. "Captain, you have been a great friend to me. I really do hope you awaken soon. I miss having you enjoy the magical box with me."

Bruce wanted to correct him, but decided against it. "It called T- never mind." He faced the Captain, sighing for what seemed like the thousandth time that day. "Thank you, Cap." He was about to let the words 'I'm sorry' slip, but thankfully stopped himself. As he got up, he realized something. "Hey Thor, you know, I think this is the longer conversation we had since we met."

The god's eyes widened in surprise. "Well, what do you know, it certainly is."

As the two left the room laughing, Thor slapped Bruce hard on the back again. "The Captain really is a good man."

Bruce looked over his shoulder and at Steve on last time before he shut the door. "He sure is, Thor. He sure is."

**P.S. the next chapter is the last one, followed by an epilogue. Figured I should let you all know in advance. Please review!**


	5. The Awakening

**So here's the last chapter. Don't worry, there will be an epilogue. This was a pretty emotional one for me; put a lot of thought behind it. It's a long one too. This chapter was so important to me because I am a HUGE shipper of Stony (or Steve/Tony for all you non-shippers), so this is can either be seen as a pre-slash, or just a bromance chapter, it's up to you. I wanted to make this special, just for you guys! Anyway, read, relax and review!**

Day 7

"A hero? Like you? You're a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle."

X

"Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony."

X

Tony Stark, the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, couldn't believe what he was doing. "JARVIS, can you remind me again why I'm here?"

The AI replied in the usual cool voice through Tony's earpiece. "Sir, Miss Potts insisted that you visit Captain Rogers while he is still in his coma."

The brunette rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Right… but honestly JARVIS is it really necessary?"

"The rest of the Avengers had already visited the Captain, Sir. It would only seem right if you did the same."

"Don't remind me. They came here and didn't invite me. Now I have to do it all alone." Tony could already imagine the awkwardness that was going to build once he went into the room, and awkwardness was something that he could not handle.

"You'll have me, Sir."

"Yeah, you'll be great support." Tony scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. Some days he just wondered why he even put a personality chip in JARVIS's software in the first place.

He stepped in front of the bare grey door that bore only the Captain's name. "Guess I just have to get this over and done with." Then, a thought came to him. "JARVIS, if I say anything awkward in there, remember to delete it from the camera footage. But if I manage to wake Cap up, you know what to do. I'll need proof that I, Anthony Stark, can make miracles happen."

"Understood."

"Good." He sighed. "Well, here goes nothing."

Turning the handle, Tony entered the room by first poking his head around the door. Then he stepped in, silently shutting the door behind him. He walked up to Steve's unconscious body. To him, Steve looked like he was sleeping; the gentle rise and fall of his chest and his closed eyes. But the needle in his arm and the beeping machines around the bed begged to differ.

"What have you gotten yourself into…" Tony shook his head, sitting down on one of the chairs placed by the bed. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Hey, Cap, it's been a whole week since the accident and you're still not up yet. Don't know why. I mean… the bruises and cuts cleared up, your broken limbs are good again, and the internal bleeding healed. So why aren't you awake yet?"

Sighing, Tony looked away from Steve, his gaze falling on something he had brought in that he forgot about. "Oh… Cap, I brought your shield. It's been cleaned up and polished; dents are gone, so are the scratches. It's good as new." Carefully, he placed it on the Captain's torso, making sure not to hurt him. "Not sure why I brought it. Maybe it can bring good luck or something. I hope it does."

Suddenly, Tony, for the first time in his life, doesn't know what to say, and because of this, a thick silence began to crowd the room. As the minutes ticked by, Tony either looked at the wall or at the shield, willing himself to not look at Steve's face. But he knew that if didn't say something, the silence would only go on longer and grow more awkward. And the only way that he could think of something to say… was to look at the Captain.

The minute Tony glances at the Captain's face, it seemed like a million and one things wanted to spew out. But there were only a few worth speaking out for. "I don't why I came here today, Steve. Pepper told me to, and I could have just ignored her like I usually do, but I didn't. I told myself to come here even though I didn't want to. That's sounds stupid, doesn't it? I was fighting against myself, deciding whether to visit or not. My brain was telling me, 'Why do you even bother? You're just going to sit there like an idiot until time's up.' But somewhere, some part of me was saying, 'You have to go. Visiting the Captain will help you.' I don't know if that was my intuition or self-conscience talking, but I followed it. And here I am.

"I really don't understand how coming here will help me. You can't talk. Yet… the others said you helped them. They said that you helped them think about themselves, and how… how special they really are. I think they're exaggerating, but they were serious when they told me about it. Nobody cried, thank god, but… you helped them, Steve. In some magical way, you helped them. So maybe I'm here because I want your help. Now, I know that I, Tony Stark, have never asked someone for help, but this… this is different."

Tony leaned back against the chair, taking a look around the room. There were at least fifteen bouquets of flowers, ranging from carnations to roses. He never understood why people gave flowers to one another. They were all going to wilt away and die sooner or later, so why waste all that time and effort? And amongst the flowers were cards. Whether self-crafted or store-bought, hand-written or pre-printed, Tony never liked them. Cards were thrown away almost immediately after being read, and even if they were kept, they were just going to collect dust and take up space.

Tony knew he wasn't one for sentimental value, but Steve was. Steve had a whole box full of what he called 'treasured things' in his room. Every now and then he would open it up and look at the stuff inside. A trading card from the 40's, his first artwork as a kid, a letter written by his mom; those were things Steve looked at to remember the life he had. But Steve had some new things too: a Captain America action figure, the key to his old apartment, a picture of the Avengers. Tony would walk past his room to see him staring at those things, not saying a word with a look of nostalgia on his face.

Tony never got why he did that. To him, a person should only keep things that are of use. The only things that he stored were extra parts for the suits, nothing else. Items of no value should be thrown away. As that thought flashes past Tony's mind, he looked at Steve. "Is that what you're trying to tell me? That I should feel some sentimental value?"

The Captain's face didn't change. It hadn't for the past week. "This is starting to feel stupid. You're supposed to be helping me, Steve, so why aren't you?"

Tony squeezes his eyes shut in frustration. As he does, his mind starts replaying something that he nearly forgot about.

XXXXXXXXXX

_A couple of days before the accident, Tony was walking to the kitchen to get a coffee. It was midnight, and he needed caffeine in his system to let him complete the final touches on the Mark VIII. As he started up the coffee machine, he noticed a light coming from the living room. Turning his head around the corner, Tony saw Steve sitting in front of the coffee table with pieces of paper around him._

_He sauntered over to the Captain, who was deep in thought. "Hey, Cap, whatcha doing up so late?"_

_Steve flinched at the sudden sound and turned around. "Oh, Stark, it's you. Nothing, I'm just doing some reading."_

"_It's a bit late to do some read- wait a minute…" Tony bent down to get a closer look at the paper in Steve's hand. "Is that my profile? Cap, what are you doing with my profile?"_

"_I was reading all of our profiles. You just came here at the right time. And it says here that you're, what was it, 'volatile, self-obsessed, and don't play well with others.'"_

_The billionaire crossed his arms. "Yeah, I know what it says. I even have it memorised by heart. What about it?"_

_The Captain just shrugged. "I just think that it should say more than that."_

"_I tell you what. You say out something that should be on that list, and I'll tell you whether you're right or not."_

_Steve raised an eyebrow, but went along with it. "Risk-taker."_

"_Well, there might be space for that. It's true. Next."_

"_Alcoholic."_

"_Also true."_

"_Self-sacrificing."_

"_Hmm… it was just that one time… so, no."_

"_Obnoxious."_

"_Hey, I resent that… but I am."_

"_Fast-thinker."_

"_Really, you think I am? Thanks."_

"_Sly."_

"_Wait, wait,_ wait._ Hold on, what are you trying to do, Cap? Put me down or praise me?"_

"_Both, actually."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because I want to let you know that you're not as bad as everyone thinks you are, but you're not that great as you think you are."_

"_Stop right there. I know this is leading to a heart-to-heart talk, and I don't do those. So… bye."_

_Tony started to walk away back to the kitchen. Steve called out to him. "Tony, wait, I-"_

_Tony quickened his pace. "Goodnight Capsicle! See you tomorrow!" He poured his coffee into his mug and sped off, leaving Steve with his unspoken speech._

XXXXXXXXXX

Tony looked up from the floor and stared at Steve's face. "Is that how you were helping me? By telling me that I'm not who I think I am? You don't have to tell me that; I know it myself. That's how you helped the others, isn't it? You let them reflect on their worse imperfection to help them realise that that's who they were meant to be? How does that even help? You were trying to get me to do that, weren't you? Well then, I suppose I should just do it now…

"I'm a risk taker. So what? That doesn't make me a better or worse person. I take risks because I follow my instinct. I'm not saying that you don't, Cap, but your instinct is to plan and strategize before you go into action. I just do the first thing that comes into my head, which normally ends with me getting hurt. Whether that's good or bad, I don't know, but… somehow, you find that a good thing. Maybe because it means that I'm less afraid to do more things.

"I know I'm obnoxious. I can tell by just the way the rest of you look at me. Natasha, Bruce, Fury; all of them just find me annoying. Especially you, Cap. You don't like me because I don't follow orders; I go by my own rulebook, whereas you, on the other hand, believe that everything has to be done according to the law or whatever. Well too bad; maybe I'm obnoxious, maybe I'm annoying, but it's for a reason. Life is enjoyed best with freedom, not by being tied down by rules. You, of all people, as Captain America, should understand.

"… Cap, don't you think that when I hear people call me 'self-obsessed', 'volatile' or whatever, that I feel upset? I feel bad, but even if I change, it'll still come back, because that's who I am. That's who Tony Stark is. I know I'm not as great and awesome as I think, and I'm not as self-centred or spoilt as others see me, but those things are what makes me… me. If I try to change myself according to what others want me to be, won't I just be another face in the crowd?

"You think that I feel better talking about myself like this, Cap? Do you wanna know how I feel right now? I feel…" Tony felt like saying that he felt worse, that it was so irritating, but he couldn't, because if he did, he would be lying. He sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "_Fuck…_ Damn it, Steve. I do feel better. I don't know how you did that, but you did. Our imperfections really are what make us special. You helped the others see that, and now you helped me." Tony scoffed, leaning back in his seat. "_God_… I can't believe you helped me get an epiphany… no one has ever done that. You've just broken that streak, you idiot."

Under normal circumstances, Steve would have been smiling at how Tony was angry at himself. But now, Steve was emotionless, or least that was what his face showed. Tony leaned forward again, resting his arms on the edge of the bed. "You have to wake up, Cap. You have to. Why can't you; it's so easy. Just open your eyes. Open your eyes and you'll be brought back to reality where we're waiting. It's not fair that you're asleep. How can it be, that while the rest of us are going on with life, facing all kinds of crap there is, but you're just sleeping? You have to wake up, because I'm not going to let another 70 years pass without you having to go through it and suffer with the rest of us.

"Steve… we miss you. The team misses you, SHIELD misses you; even the mansion misses you. Knowing that no punching bags are being smacked across the room, and that the jogging track is unused, that you won't be there to greet us in the morning at breakfast… it just kills us. We can't stand it. You should see us Steve. Every night during dinner for the past week, your seat's been empty and we can't help but look at it. And when we do we just can't eat anymore. We need you to come back. Clint misses his gym partner, Thor misses his TV buddy, Bruce misses the one person who doesn't annoy him and Natasha and Pepper misses who they call 'the only true gentleman alive'. Even Fury misses you. He says that you're the only one who listens to him. And, even as much as I hate to admit, I miss you too. I miss having something to tease. I miss your lack of modern knowledge, I miss how everything can remind you of the 40's, and I miss how you always remember to brew an extra-large pot of coffee in the morning.

"Remember you told me that there isn't always a way out? I nearly started to think that, but I can't go against what I believe, and what I believe in is that there's _always_ a way out. No matter how bad the situation is, or how tightly you're squeezed into a corner, there will always be a way out of it. So you have to trust me when I say that you have a way of getting out of this. You do, it's just that you can find it yet. And when you do, you better grab onto it and come back. I know you can find a way; you just have to search harder.

"Steve, we need you. It might not seem like that before, but we do now, more than ever. You said it yourself that you will never hurt family, but can't you see? That's what you're doing right now. Being in this coma, you're hurting us far worse than anything else. We're a family, Cap, all of us, and you _never_ give up on family. We aren't giving up on you; we know you'll come back… We'll need you to. You're not alone in this world anymore, Steve; you're part of a team… and the team needs their Captain."

Glancing up at the clock, Tony ran a hand through his hair. "Guess it's time to go…" Before standing up, Tony decided to do one last thing.

"Steve, before I leave, I just have to say that I… I'm… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for saying that everything special about you came out of a bottle. I take that back. Your kindness, loyalty, bravery, faithfulness; those and so much more can't come from a bottle. I know you would have let go if you didn't slip; that kind of self-sacrifice can't be created. Underneath your shield, strength and suit is something so pure, so genuine that can't be changed, can't be removed, and can't be destroyed. No lab in the world, no scientist however smart can create that from a test-tube. You're no experiment, Rogers; you're a person. Not a perfect person, but a good man. And not just good; it's… it's… indescribable. I realise that now, so I'm taking it back… I'm sorry."

Tony got up from his seat and adjusted his jacket. "Thank God you can't hear me, because I cannot apologise to your face. Hope it got through somehow, because I am never saying that again."

He walked towards the door. Just as he touched the handle, he heard a noise behind him.

Turning around, Tony saw Steve in his sleeping position, but something wasn't right. That's when he notices. Steve's arm, which should have been next to his body, was now hanging over the side of the bed. Tony wasn't there to move it, which only meant one thing…

"Cap?" Tony rushed back over to the side of the bed. He grabbed the side of the bed so tight that his knuckles were turning white. Peering into the Captain's face, he spoke with caution. "Steve? Can you hear me?"

For five whole seconds, there was no response. Tony almost thought he was seeing things and wanted to walk away. Then, in what seemed like a miracle, Steve's eyes fluttered open slowly. He squinted in the artificial light.

"Oh my God… Steve, you're up." Tony muttered in shock and disbelief. "I can't believe it; I'm a miracle worker!"

"What?" Steve's voice came out hoarse and raspy, so much so that Tony didn't hear him. He cleared his throat and tried again. "What? Stark? Where am I? What happened?"

"You're in the hospital. During a mission you fell off a Quinjet and got yourself into a coma."

"A coma?" Steve rubbed a hand against the back of his head. He stops when a thought flashes through his mind. "Wait, how long have I been out?"

Tony internally smiled to himself, but on the outside, he looked serious and solemn. No better time to tease the Captain. "It's been years, Cap. You took forever to wake up."

Steve buried his face in his hands. "What?! Oh my God, no… not again."

Tony placed a hand on his shoulder. "Chill, Cap, I'm just joking. It's only been a week."

Steve lifted his head, pushing himself into a sitting position. He glared at Tony in a way that made the billionaire remove his hand. If looks could kill, Tony would have been dead ten times over. "Stark, so help me God, if I wasn't in this condition, I will…"

"I know, I know. You will kick me, punch me, stab me, murder me, and etcetera… Sorry, I just had to do it. Anyway, on a more serious note, I'm glad you're back. We missed you."

The Captain had calmed down, and he was looking around the room. The flowers, the cards; he didn't knew people cared so much. His eyes then fell on Tony. "You haven't answered me, Tony? Why are you here?"

Tony crossed his arms. "To visit, obviously. I'm not the only one; the rest of the team came too."

"They did?"

"Yep. We had to, after all that you've done. And we brought along some things. Clint brought you your sketchbook, Natasha bought those flowers on your bedside table, Thor and Bruce brought you that fruit and muffin basket, and I brought your shield!"

Steve looked down at his lap. His shield was there; clear and perfect, not a scratch anywhere. He ran a hand over the cool, polished metal. "Thank you, Tony. Tell the others I said thanks."

"I'm going to do more than that. I have to tell them you're awake. They're going to think I'm amazing; I woke you. Is there nothing I can't do?" Tony cheerfully got up and headed to the door. "Might as well tell the doctors you're up too."

"… Tony, wait."

The brunette looked over his shoulder. "What is it Cap?"

The blonde smiled at him. "Thank you for saying it."

"What did I say?"

"That you're sorry."

Tony's face turned ten shades redder. His eyes widened in shock. He started stuttering. "What… I… said nothing. You're… wrong… I…"

"It's okay, Tony. I accept your apology."

The billionaire swallowed hard before talking again. "What are you talking about? What apology?"

Steve laughed, finding Tony's expression and defensive stance amusing. "I heard you say that you were sorry, that you take back what you said about me. I'm glad you did; it means a lot. Never in a million years would I expect Tony Stark to apologise."

"You have no proof!"

"Excuse me?"

"Shit." Tony muttered, realising he was just digging a deeper hole. "I mean… I didn't say anything like that. You can check the camera footage."

"I wouldn't bother. JARVIS would have deleted it."

Tony walked up to Steve. He leaned close to his face, voice lowered to a threatening tone. "I swear, Rogers, if you tell anyone, I will-"

"I won't."

"You won't?" Tony jerked back in surprise.

"Cross my heart and hope to die. I promise." Steve saluted him. "A Captain's promise."

Tony narrowed his eyes but moved away. "Fine." He walked away towards the door. "I'm just going to find you a doctor…"

Just as he opens it, Steve shouted. "Again, I accept your apology!"

Tony glares at him. "Do you want the whole goddamn world to know!? Just keep quiet, okay?"

As Tony closes the door behind him, Steve shouts to him yet again. "Thank you for taking it back!"

Right before the door shuts, Steve could hear Tony shout, "Shut up!"

The Captain leaned back against the bed, feeling proud of himself. He was sore and tired, but he was, undoubtedly, happy. He ran over his shield once more, waiting for the doctors to arrive to do checks and examinations on him. He wasn't looking forward to that, but once the doctors could put him in the clear, he could go home. Back to his team, back to his friends, but more importantly, back to his family.

**Okay, so since this is the last chapter before the epilogue, can you guys **_**please**_** review? It would mean so much to me! Can I get at least five reviews that aren't just about updating faster? If that happens, I will write the best damn epilogue that I can squeeze out of this head of mine. The review box is just right below; don't hesitate!**


	6. The Assembly

**I am SUPER sorry for the delay. I had my final year exams, so I had to study, but I told myself to write this out when I finished. So here it is: the epilogue! Thank you all for following me through this story, for leaving all the beautiful comments, and for making this favourite or alert. I hope to provide more awesome stories for you all. Check out my profile for future stories or on how to find/contact me. I love you all. Hope you enjoy this!**

2 Weeks Later

"Cheers!"

As the rest of the team downed their drinks, Steve gingerly placed his bottle on the table. "Guys, you didn't have to do this."

"We had to!" smiled Clint. "You're back! You're awake and we have to celebrate! Too bad the doctors said you had to stay under surveillance for a week."

"Yeah, and they said that you shouldn't have or do anything that affects your health. So… who brought the alcohol?" Natasha looked at the rest, stopping at Tony.

Tony put up his hands in defence. "Whoa, hold up. I had to bring something; I mean, come on, what's a party without a good drink?"

"I thought we agreed that this was just a barbeque dinner, not a party." Bruce said, adjusting his glasses.

"It does not matter what this gathering is." Thor boomed, patting Steve on the back. "It is only important that we are celebrating the Captain's return."

Clint raised his bottle. "I'll drink to that."

Steve couldn't help but smile. "Thanks you guys, but… why? I didn't even do anything and you guys are celebrating like we won a battle. I don't deserve this."

Natasha leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. "You did do something, Cap. You do deserve this. You helped all of us, even if you don't realize it yourself."

"You helped me realize that there's nothing worth being angry about; that I shouldn't blame myself for things that happened in the past."

"Captain, you have made me understand that all of us are equals; whether from this world or not."

"You helped me learn how to have balance in life; to know when to be funny and when not to."

"You helped me realize that trust… is important, that I have to believe in people as they do in me."

"And you taught me that while I still remain as the person I am, I shouldn't act like I'm the best… even when I so obviously am."

Natasha whacked the side of Tony's head with a paper plate, causing him to almost fall off his seat. "Ow! What was that for? It's the truth, isn't it?"

As the two continued bickering, Steve couldn't help but laugh; he had really missed this.

* * *

Steve leaned against the back of his chair, observing the scene in front of him. Tony was busy arguing with Clint over the song selection, Bruce was silently grilling hotdogs, and Natasha and Thor were having a vivid discussion over something concerning alcohol.

As Steve downed a few gulps of beer, Thor walked over and sat down. "Cap, it is good to see you enjoying yourself!"

"Thanks, Thor, you and the others really made this a great welcoming home party."

"It was no trouble at all. We had to thank you in some way. I, for one, would like to thank you for teaching me about the equality you have here on Earth. It has helped me see things in a much greater perspective."

Thor patted Steve on the back again before leaving, which was a good thing because Steve honestly couldn't think of anything to say. Just then, Bruce came over.

"Steve, I just like to say that, I'm grateful to you. You let me realize that I shouldn't be upset over things that happened. What happened in the past is in the past, I shouldn't look back. I have to look forward for things in the future."

Steve opened his mouth to say something, but Bruce interrupted. "I think I smell something burning." He ran back to the grill just as Clint strolled over.

"Hey, Cap. Thanks for telling me all that stuff before. It's really helpful. The rest of the guys take me more seriously now; so does Nat… especially her. So… thank you. I couldn't have done it without you."

He looked over his shoulder. "Oh crap, Tony's about to change the track. Have to go!" He jogged back as Natasha took over his place next to Steve.

"Steve, thank you. You helped me see the reasoning behind your advice. I feel… happier now that I trust the whole lot of you more. I was afraid of it before, but now… I'm not. Why should I be? Thank you, Cap, for letting me see it."

She gracefully walked away as Tony sauntered over, shouting over his shoulder. "We had a compromise, Legolas. We alternate songs. If you change my song, I will drop you over the ocean, you got it?"

The billionaire sat down next to Steve. "What's up, Cap? You look a little… speechless."

"I am. All of them just came over and thanked me for things I didn't even know I did, and then they just walked off before I could say or ask anything."

"Cap, when we visited you in the hospital, memories of you helped us realise things about our own selves that we didn't even notice in the first place. You did all of those things just by being physically there in the room, and by being in our heads. You're our Captain, we can't just forget about you."

"Well then, if that's the case… the team thanked me for a good reason… I guess."

"Yeah, and I'm here to do so as well." Tony coughed and awkwardly rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. "Thanks, Cap, for your advice and your 'great words of wisdom'. Actually, you didn't even talk to me much about the problem. Somehow, you made me talk about it, which led to those deep thoughts, and so on and so forth, blah blah blah. I have to thank you for that. And you better remember it, because we Starks don't thank people too often."

Steve laughed. "You're not too bad, Stark. Not bad at all."

* * *

As the team finished the last of their burgers and ribs, Thor spoke up with a full mouth, raising his beer jug. "A toast! For the Captain!"

Bruce raised his cup of wine. "To Steve."

Tony took a sip from his glass of brandy before lifting it. "To the Capsicle."

Clint rubbed barbeque sauce off his mouth before raising his beer bottle. "To Cap."

Natasha lifted her glass of champagne. "To the Captain Rogers."

Steve looked at them, drinks in the air, waiting for him to do the same. They were his teammates, comrades… No, that seemed wrong. They weren't just that, they were his friends, his family, people who brought happiness and a new meaning into his life. They shouldn't be celebrating only for him.

"Not just for me." Steve raised his bottle slowly. "For us… the Avengers."

They rest followed suit. "The Avengers!"

As the six of them clinked their drinks together, Steve whispered, softly, to himself. "Assemble."


End file.
